


Where Is Ward?

by SkyIshtar



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU - Season 2B, Could be seen as either, Gen, Season 3 Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-01
Updated: 2015-06-01
Packaged: 2018-04-02 07:22:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4051327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyIshtar/pseuds/SkyIshtar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grant Ward isn't the only one who seeks redemption for his actions. The question is why does Rose feel so guilty?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Impossible

The woman watched the security footage in absolute horror. If she hadn’t already been informed otherwise Rose could have sworn it was footage of a HYDRA agent shooting an unarmed SHIELD agent. Only it wasn’t, a SHIELD agent had just shot an unarmed man who was actually trying to help her escape. Sure Rose had only just learned the pair’s history but she had also just watched the entire security feed of their most recent meeting. Taking the woman to a HYDRA base was no doubt ill-advised but the man had done nothing but help since arriving, certainly nothing that warranted getting shot.

Rose let out a breath she hadn’t realised she was holding when another woman came along and eventually helped the man to his feet. They walked out of view of the camera and the image froze. Rose continued to stare at the screen, hoping pure force of will would change the events she had just seen, that pure force of will would change the last fifteen years of her life, of her brother’s life.

“Miss Ward?”

A voice spoke next to Rose, snapping her from her thoughts. Rose eyed the one eyed man carefully before she corrected him, “Sousa.”

The man hid his confusion well, “I’m sorry?”

Rose sighed before turning to face the man completely, “My last name is Sousa. I changed it to my mother’s maiden name a couple of months ago.” She almost smiled, “Your file on me no doubt hasn’t been updated since your organization officially fell.”

“Indeed,” Nick Fury agreed.

Again Rose sighed, “Why am I here, Mr Fury?” She crossed her arms, “Many have tried, and failed, to convince me Grant is a bad guy. I highly doubt you will succeed, especially by showing me my unarmed brother getting shot.”

Fury shook his head, “You misunderstand me. I’m not trying to convince you of anything, I just want your help to find him. There have been no sightings since this was taken two days ago.”

“You sent my brother to be executed,” Rose snapped, “You sent him to Christian.” She shook her head, “I won’t help you kill the only brother who ever gave a damn about me.”

The former SHIELD director held his hands up in surrender, “Again you misunderstand me. For starters it was Phil Coulson that passed your brother off to the senator. I would have never let such a valuable asset slip through my fingers, especially for something as simple as publicity.” Before Rose could interrupt again Fury continued, “Your brother spilled HYDRA’s secrets for Coulson, given the chance to return to HYDRA he secretly helped SHIELD instead. Grant Ward was loyal to a man, not a cause. Now he is free of that man I firmly believe that given the choice your brother would choose to take down HYDRA rather than join it.”

Rose continued to eye Fury doubtfully, “You want to use Grant, just like Christian did, just like our parents and just like HYDRA.”

“I want to give your brother something he’s never had,” Fury replied, “A choice. If he doesn’t want my help he’s free to go.”

Rose glared, “And if he doesn’t accept your help Coulson’s SHIELD will never stop hunting him.”

“Coulson has bigger things to worry about,” Fury shrugged, “Not to mention they no doubt think him dead after that little incident.”

Again Rose crossed her arms, “I don’t trust you.”

“Good,” Fury nodded, “Trusting someone you just met is a sure fire way to get yourself killed. You trust Steve Rogers?”

“He set up this meeting,” Rose replied, “If I didn’t trust him I wouldn’t be here.” She smiled, “But Steve doesn’t trust you and told me not trust you.”

“Rogers speaks from experience,” Fury replied simply.

Rose’s gaze softened and she uncrossed her arms, “I still don’t get what you want from me, what makes you think I can find Grant when no one else can.”

“Because,” Fury replied, “Deep down Agent Ward wants a chance at redemption and you are one of the few people he might let find him.”

“You’ve already admitted Steve had a good reason not to trust you,” Rose replied, “Why should I help you?”

“Because I am your brother’s best chance at redemption,” Fury smiled, “And because you believe that by redeeming your brother you will also redeem yourself.”

“I don’t need redemption,” Rose snapped.

“No. You don’t,” Fury agreed, “You were a little girl trying to help her big brother. Your file, which has been updated I might add, has changed drastically over the last few months. Ever since you learned the truth. You feel guilty. It’s why Rogers brought you to my attention and it’s why you’ll help me find your brother.”

Despite herself Rose actually smiled, “I grew up around master manipulators, the kind of people who if they tried hard enough could convince you the sky was green. You put them to shame, Mr Fury. I’m surprised you didn’t use my grandmother though. Convince me to relieve her of her guilt, not my own.”

Fury smiled by shook his head, “Using her would have only angered you, not just you but others whose help I also need.”

Rose actually smiled again, “You’re a manipulative bastard. You know that right?”

Fury smiled but nodded, “I do.”

“Good,” Rose nodded, “There is hope for you yet.” She paused before continuing, “So how exactly do you expect me to find my brother? I haven’t seen him since I was thirteen.”

“If there is one thing you Wards can do better than most, it’s the impossible.”


	2. The Project

Rose Sousa, once Rose Ward, was used to hard work. It taken a lot of it to escape her parent’s house and even more to stay out of her brother’s reach, especially once he had become a senator. Rose had taken whatever jobs she could, as long as it was off the books, one less way for Christian to track her. The last few months had been heaven, without Christian constantly seeking her out Rose had been able to change her name, legally, she had been able to take proper jobs but the guilt was there. A constant reminder of what she had done all those years ago, a constant reminder of the price her brother had payed. With Fury’s offer of help, for both her and Grant, Rose worked night and day to track the brother she had let slip away all those years ago. Fury’s files were extensive, tracking Grant’s every movement from the time he joined the academy to his shooting less than a week ago. Rose was surprised to learn that Fury had kept an eye on him even when Coulson has lost track. It made Rose wonder if Fury really was serious about helping her brother, he could have brought the fugitive in the second he had escaped FBI custody but he hadn’t. Rose knew Fury’s interest wasn’t charitable, he had called Grant and asset more than once but that didn’t mean Rose couldn’t use Fury’s resources to find Grant.

Three days of searching night and day had produced no results. That didn’t surprise Rose, Grant had never been particularly easy to find, even when he was technically on the grid. Now that he was off it was impossible. However Fury was right, if there was something her family did well it was the impossible.

Rose had found her brother before, she had been eighteen, he had been at SHIELD academy and didn’t need his baby sister crashing his life. So Rose had stayed away, happy in the knowledge Grant was safe. It had taken her ten years to learn how wrong she had been. This was her chance to make up for it, to make up for everything.

“You’re thinking too hard.”

Rose looked up from the desk piled high with files and glared at the man sitting across from her, “What do you want?”

Steve Rogers smiled, the kind of smile that made most women weak at the knees but had absolutely no effect on Rose, most likely because she had met the man while visiting her grandmother in a nursing home or even the fact that the good captain had kissed that same grandmother during the war. Either way Captain America’s charm didn’t work on Rose but still he tried, “Making sure you eat and sleep.”

Pulling a file off the pile Rose resumed her search, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” She paused briefly before adding, “And I ate breakfast this morning.”

Steve lent forward, “It’s eight o’clock at night.”

Rose paused again, this time glaring up at Steve, “Don’t you have a brainwashed ex-HYDRA agent to find?”

“Don’t you?” Steve retorted.

“I’m trying,” Rose snapped, “But people keep interrupting me.”

“You’re angry with me,” Steve replied simply, it wasn’t a question.

“What gave that away?” Rose snapped again.

Again Steve smiled, “You really are her granddaughter. The only difference is when she was angry she shot at me.”

“Shut up, Steve.”

Captain America held his hands up in surrender, “Peace, Rosie, peace.” He lent forward, “What did I do this time?”

“Fury knew what I did for my brother,” Rose paused before correcting herself, “What I did to him.” She glared at Steve, “Very few people know what I did. Garrett, Christian and Christian are dead, my grandmother has dementia. Grant never had a clue, so that leaves you. I told you want happened and less than a month later Nick Fury learns. That’s not a coincidence, Steve.”

Steve Rogers didn’t even try to hide his guilt, “You felt so guilty, Rose, and when your grandmother remembers she feels guilty too. When I learned Fury was keeping an eye on your brother I offered my help and when Grant disappeared I told Fury about you. You were spiralling, Rosie, you needed a project and …”

However Rose was no longer listening, desperately searching for one file that she had come across a couple of hours, or maybe days, ago. It wasn’t a file on Grant himself so she had only skimmed it but what Steve was telling her brought the fil to the very front of her mind.

Steve had stopped talking instead choosing to watch the woman work, they may not have known each other long but he still knew better than to interrupt.

Eventually the shuffling stopped and Rose read the file again and again, kicking herself for not having found it sooner. She had been so focused on Grant she had forgotten to widen her search.

“You found him?” Steve finally spoke.

Rose looked up and shrugged, “I might have.”

Steve seemed to choose his next words carefully, “Are you going to tell him what happened?”

“You mean am I going to tell my brother that the reason John Garrett found him, the reason he is a hunted man,” Rose sighed, “Is because of me?”

Steve stood up, “You were a kid.”

“I was thirteen,” Rose snapped, “Old enough to know better. Years of experience with my own family should have taught me better than to trust someone, especially someone I never met.”

“You can’t blame Peggy for what happened.”

“I don’t,” Rose assured the captain, “I contacted her, and she contacted Pierce, who contacted Garrett, who got to Grant. I started the chain, I can’t blame one of the links. No one knew Pierce and Garrett were HYDRA, how could she?”

“How could you?” Steve asked.

Rose actually smiled, “I walked into that one didn’t I?”

“You did,” Steve admitted, he sighed, “So did you find him?”

“Maybe,” Rose admitted, “There is five years missing from Grant’s file, between leaving juvie and joining the academy. The file says he was at home, only he wasn’t. I couldn’t find out where he was, but I found out where John Garrett spent his down time.” She smiled, “He had a non-SHIELD project, a cabin he was building in a forest.”

Steve looked doubtful, “You think your brother is there?”

“Maybe,” Rose sighed, “But it’s worth a try.” Steve nodded but didn’t interrupt so Rose continued, “Can you keep Fury away for now. He brought me in because Grant might actually let me find him, if he sees Fury, or anyone else, he will run and I’m not sure I’ll ever catch up.”

Steve nodded, “Whatever you need.”

* * *

 

The cabin took longer to find than Rose would have liked. Garrett had acted like a good little SHIELD agent and informed the agency what he was doing in his down time, building a cabin for his retirement. Garrett had told them about the cabin so they hadn’t asked too many questions. Only Garrett hadn’t exactly detailed the cabin’s location, a forest and a state were as close as Rose could get. Garrett had wanted SHIELD to trust him but he hadn’t wanted them to find him.

The cabin was in a clearing, somewhere that had once been a clearing, years of disuse and neglect had let the forest creep back in, but still the cabin stood. Someone had been through the area recently, they had hidden their presence well but years of hiding from Christian and her parents had taught Rose to spot a single blade of grass out of place. Someone was here, and they didn’t want to be found.

Rose could almost feel the gun trained on her as she made her way towards the cabin. She suddenly wished she’d accepted Steve’s offer to join her. However Rose didn’t back down, she had come too far to give up now. Before she really could give in Rose knocked on the door.

The door opened and Rose couldn’t help but smile as she crossed her arms, “Well brother dear, what trouble have you gotten into this time?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously posted on ff.net

**Author's Note:**

> Previously posted on ff.net


End file.
